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View Poll Results: What is/are the greatest Austrian contribution(s) to the world

Greatest Austrian contribution(s) to the world

We already have 5 ancient civilisations and 10 modern European countries in the series of the greatest national contributions. I haven't given much thought to Austrian contributions until now. I hope to fill this gap with your help. Please post your suggestions before I open a poll.

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"What is the use of living, if it be not to strive for noble causes and to make this muddled world a better place for those who will live in it after we are gone?", Winston Churchill.

In term of impact on the whole history of the continent during several centuries, the Habsburgh family ought to make the list.

Why, they were never really Austrian. Their genealogy is completely pan-European. The origins of the Habsburg family itself is in Switzerland (Aargau) and southwest Germany (Breisgau). Besides they ruled over the empire that extended over 10 modern countries (more if you include the periods during which they ruled over Low Countries, Spain, Portugal, Germany, and North Italy), and almost every time by inheritance through marriage with local lords/royalty. I think it would be terribly unfair to consider them more Austrian than European.

I won't list psychoanalysis because Freud was Jewish before being Austrian, and Carl Jung was Swiss. But psychology in general or medicine could work.

Maciamo, I have an objection to make. Why does being Jewish disqualify Freud from being Austrian? After all he had Austrian citizenship. Secondly, as an atheist, he critizised religion and God as being 'an illusion based upon the infantile emotional need for a powerful, supernatural pater familias' [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigmund_Freud#Religion]. Thirdly, not all Jews in Europe were or are they same. For instance, Freud belonged to the upper Jewish community of Vienna, which was a distinct Jewish culture from, let's say London or Prague. And at last, you've already mentioned other Jews in other countries' sections (Marx, Disraeli etc... perhaps unconsciously without knowing even more).

Maciamo, I have an objection to make. Why does being Jewish disqualify Freud from being Austrian? After all he had Austrian citizenship. Secondly, as an atheist, he critizised religion and God as being 'an illusion based upon the infantile emotional need for a powerful, supernatural pater familias' [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigmund_Freud#Religion]. Thirdly, not all Jews in Europe were or are they same. For instance, Freud belonged to the upper Jewish community of Vienna, which was a distinct Jewish culture from, let's say London or Prague. And at last, you've already mentioned other Jews in other countries' sections (Marx, Disraeli etc... perhaps unconsciously without knowing even more).

The main reason is that there is already a poll for the greatest Jewish contributions, so it's too avoid listing them twice. However the Jewish poll (which I didn't make) should be elaborated.

Besides, being Jewish has little to do with believing in god. Perhaps a third or half of modern Jews are atheists. Jewish refers to a culture and ethnicity (hence the incompatibility with Austrian).

I agree with Mzungu, we should be more inclusive, otherwise people like Freud never will be classified as in any country or nation. He wasn't 100% Jew, he wasn't 100% Austrian. When we really look deep we might have to exclude most of inventions, because in past upper class was very mixed and nationalities not fully defined, the way we see it today.
How do we classify nationality before they were defined? If something was invented in Prussia, do we give it to Germany just because they spoke German, or weird German dialect?
We shouldn't hesitate to reward one invention to couple of countries or nations, be more inclusive. We shouldn't be afraid of sharing in Europe. :)

If it comes to Freud, I don't consider his theories to be right mostly. I have to agree though, that regardless of being right or wrong, he really influenced the whole world.
Let's give point to Austria and Jews.

But I think Gödel's work resulted in more practical effects on logic, mathematics, technology (computer algorithms, artificial intelligence), philosophy and even society. I'd compare him to Einstein. But maybe my philosophical ignorance let me underestimate Wittgensteins contributions Much to debate here.
BTW, isn't it is amazing how mentally disturbed both genuises have been.

The contributions of those two should get Austrian contributions to logic and the philosophy of mathematics into this poll.

I agree with Mzungu, we should be more inclusive, otherwise people like Freud never will be classified as in any country or nation. He wasn't 100% Jew, he wasn't 100% Austrian. When we really look deep we might have to exclude most of inventions, because in past upper class was very mixed and nationalities not fully defined, the way we see it today.
How do we classify nationality before they were defined? If something was invented in Prussia, do we give it to Germany just because they spoke German, or weird German dialect?
We shouldn't hesitate to reward one invention to couple of countries or nations, be more inclusive. We shouldn't be afraid of sharing in Europe. :)

If it comes to Freud, I don't consider his theories to be right mostly. I have to agree though, that regardless of being right or wrong, he really influenced the whole world.
Let's give point to Austria and Jews.

Why, they were never really Austrian. Their genealogy is completely pan-European. The origins of the Habsburg family itself is in Switzerland (Aargau) and southwest Germany (Breisgau). Besides they ruled over the empire that extended over 10 modern countries (more if you include the periods during which they ruled over Low Countries, Spain, Portugal, Germany, and North Italy), and almost every time by inheritance through marriage with local lords/royalty. I think it would be terribly unfair to consider them more Austrian than European.

Well, considering the seat of power of the Austro-Hungarian empire was in Vienna, I think they deserve to be mentioned. It is because their influence spread across so much of Europe and since before the Renaissance that it makes the Habsburghs a fundamental piece of the European puzzle. I see your point of view though, but I would consider terribly unfair to leave them out of the list. The worst that can happen is that they would not be voted...

Well, considering the seat of power of the Austro-Hungarian empire was in Vienna, I think they deserve to be mentioned. It is because their influence spread across so much of Europe and since before the Renaissance that it makes the Habsburghs a fundamental piece of the European puzzle. I see your point of view though, but I would consider terribly unfair to leave them out of the list. The worst that can happen is that they would not be voted...

Yes, but what do you do about the Spanish branch of the Habsburgs ? After the split of Charles V's empire, they had nothing to do with the Austrian branch anymore.

Besides, I don't quite understand how a dynasty is a contribution to the world. I have not listed the Capetian dynasty in the contributions of France, despite their equally strong influence over the rest of Europe (just count the number of copies of Versailles around Europe) and their role in making French the language of diplomacy until WWII.

Are we suppose to add the Habsburgs because the list of Austrian contributions is so small compared to the French, German, British or Italian ones ?

Austria had long period in history where it was centre of big empire (while e.g. Germany and Italy were just set of small states)...that has created preconditions for development of sciences, music...and some of achievements e.g. the ones listed in poll were leading world civilisation in those areas in those times...

I have added Red Bull, the most popular energy drink in the world, created by Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz. Red Bull has its own Formula One team and already won two Constructors' Championships in 7 years of existence. Red Bull also owns several football teams around the world as well as its own record label.

I also added the world famous brand of crystal products Swarovski due to its global market dominance in the sector.